It was this uneasy conscience which finally killed what small hopes she had had of relaxing and before long she climbed out, wrapping herself in one towel and her hair in another, before padding back into her bedroom to survey her wardrobe.
There were few dresses to choose from, as her budget hadn’t allowed her the range of clothes she had once owned. With a young child in the house, she had tended to go for serviceable, not fancy clothes. However, she wanted to set the right mood. A suit would be too formal and anything remotely sexy was a non-starter. She didn’t want Lucas to think she had accepted his proposal. In the end she decided on a turquoise-blue layered chiffon confection with a beaded top and tiny straps. She’d had it for years, but it was ideal for the purpose. Barely there, it moved around her even in the softest breeze. She still had the matching sandals and an evening purse and knew it would be perfect. The whole ensemble was elegant but not too inviting.
All remained then was to dry her hair, which she did, leaving it falling in a gentle curve to her shoulders, and apply a little make-up. By that time it was getting late and she quickly slipped on her underwear, stepped into the dress and was just finishing fastening the straps of her sandals when the doorbell rang.
With one last glance in the mirror to make sure everything was as she wanted it, Sofie went downstairs. She didn’t rush, needing to appear calm and composed for what she knew would not be a comfortable evening, but that went out of the window the instant she opened the door.
If she had thought Lucas was handsome the other evening, then tonight was a real eye-opener. He was wearing a tuxedo that had clearly been made for him and the sight of him had her heart doing crazy flip-flops in her chest. She didn’t love him for his looks, but seeing him this way brought an upsurge of her feelings for him. She loved him so very much and it hurt not to be able to tell him so. He looked magnificent and quite simply took her breath away.
Lucas was right when he’d told her nothing had changed. He still had the power to make her go weak at the knees, and would no doubt be able to do so when they were both old and grey. Even her mouth went dry and all the tiny hairs on her body stood to attention.
‘Breathtaking,’ Lucas declared the very next instant, his eyes taking in the gentle curves of her figure outlined by her dress.
The sound of his voice brought her back to a sense of reality and the realisation that to keep him standing on the doorstep might draw unwelcome attention from the neighbours. As would the fancy limousine outside the gate. She hadn’t anticipated that, and hoped Tom wasn’t looking out of the window next door.
It was the very last thing she wanted and, dragging in some much needed air, Sofie gathered her scattered wits. ‘Come in,’ she invited hastily, stepping back to allow him to walk inside, which he did, leaving a trace of that same cologne she had enjoyed from their very first meeting. She closed her eyes for a moment, swaying at yet another upsurge of bittersweet memories, then immediately told herself to get a grip. The past was another country and she could never go back there. Closing the door, she steadied herself before following in his wake.
Lucas had come to a halt in the middle of her living room and was surveying its comfortable, lived-in look. She was thankful she’d had the foresight to put all Tom’s toys and photos away before Lucas had arrived. Now he turned towards her, pulling a flat square box from his pocket.
‘This is for you,’ he declared, holding it out to her.
She took it with a deep sense of unease and knew why when she recognised the name of a prestigious jeweller embossed on the top. Sofie immediately offered it back to him. ‘I can’t take it,’ she refused thickly, her throat closing over with conflicting emotions.
Lucas’s eyes glittered mockingly. ‘Why not? It’s yours. I bought it for you on the day you left me. I wanted to give you a token of how much I loved you. Of course, that was when I believed you felt the same. However, a gift is a gift, and nobody else will ever wear it. Open it, caro. It won’t bite.’
Sofie didn’t want to, but to refuse would only make him curious, so she acceded. Her fingers were trembling when she opened the box and saw what was inside. A single teardrop diamond hung from a fragile-looking diamond necklace. She was stunned by the gift and for a moment could say nothing. This was a love token, bought on the very day she had left him. She could only imagine the feelings that must have gone through him when he’d returned to their home to find her gone. Diamonds were many things to many people, but to most they were a gift of love. As enduring as time. It would have meant so much to her then that it brought her to the point of tears now.
‘I can’t possibly accept this!’ she exclaimed in a choked voice. ‘Take it back, please.’
Smiling faintly, Lucas reached over but, instead of taking back the box as she expected, he merely removed the necklace. Fire shot around the room as light caught the facets. ‘I knew the instant I saw this necklace whose neck it had to grace,’ he said conversationally as he walked behind her and slipped the delicate piece of work around her neck, fastening it with ease. ‘Of course, I was blinded by my love for you, but no matter. You cured me quickly enough. I was right about it suiting you, though,’ he added, stepping back to admire the setting.
‘No, no, no!’ Sofie exclaimed, her free hand lifting to seek out the fastener and remove the necklace. ‘This is wrong. Take it off, please,’ she urged him when her fingers failed to work the clasp because they were trembling too much.
In response Lucas folded his arms and shook his head. ‘Leave it where it is, for tonight at least. After that you can do with it what you please, because I cannot and will not take it back.’
Sofie stared at him in consternation. ‘You’re crazy!’ she gasped, watching as he shrugged.
‘For wanting to give my beautiful wife a beautiful necklace? I don’t think anyone will lock me up for that,’ he returned dryly. ‘Leave it on, Sofie. Think of it as a small penance. Something to take off the balance of what you owe me.’
Of course, as soon as he said that, what else could she do but give in? She would do anything to get him to leave. Though, in her heart of hearts, she would always wish things were different and they could be together for ever, he had to go. However painful they were, the choices had been made and she must live with them. Sighing heavily, she closed the empty box and ran her fingers over the gem she could feel against her skin. ‘Very well, but only for tonight. I wouldn’t dare wear it again. It must have cost a small fortune!’ she observed uncomfortably.
He laughed softly. ‘My grandfather taught me that a gentleman would never be so indelicate as to mention money. However, if you’re worrying if I could afford it, have no fears. It’s a mere drop in the ocean, compared to the family fortune.’
The Antonetti dynasty was a byword in financial circles for good business sense; however, they were also one of the most philanthropic, doing much good work to help the less fortunate. ‘How are your parents?’ she enquired awkwardly, knowing that, as much as she liked them and they her, they would not have approved of her behaviour. ‘Have you told them about meeting me?’
‘My parents are both well, and no, I haven’t mentioned meeting you. They took your leaving badly, you know, because they had come to consider you as a daughter. It’s no wonder they were at a loss to comprehend how you could do what you did. You disappointed them.’ Lucas didn’t bother to pull his punches and her conscience smote her, even though it had been his behaviour that caused her to leave.
Sofie drew in a ragged breath. ‘I’m sorry about that, but it couldn’t be helped,’ she replied unhappily, which made him laugh wryly.
‘No, they just happened to be innocent bystanders who got caught in the aftermath of your arbitrary decision,’ he jibed caustically and, had she not needed to keep quiet for her son’s sake, she might well have thrown his own actions back at him.
‘I’d rather not talk about it,’ she declared tersely, and grim lines settled around his mouth.
‘No, of course
you wouldn’t. It’s easier that way. Nothing to bother your conscience…, supposing you have one in the first place. However, I didn’t come here to talk about my family. At least, not right now. Are you ready to go? I have a table booked for eight-thirty.’
Sofie glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece and saw it was already ten past eight. ‘I just have to get my purse. If you want something to drink, help yourself from the cupboard,’ she pointed to one in the corner.
‘I’ll wait until later,’ he refused politely. ‘Take your time. I’m going to enjoy the view of your garden.’
Sofie left him looking out of the window and returned to her bedroom, where she sank on to her dressing table stool and stared at her reflection. Immediately her eyes were caught by the diamond necklace and she had to admit it was beautiful. Her throat closed over. He had seen it and thought of her, and it brought her to the verge of tears again. What a fool she was. Lucas had been the one at fault, and yet here she was falling apart because he had bought her a necklace. She was crazy to still love him, though he had played her false. Yet she couldn’t help herself. Which was why wearing the necklace, that would once have meant so much, was almost physically painful. However, it was a small price to pay, and if it got him to leave, so much the better. As for anything else, he was going to be disappointed. There could be nothing between them now, not even to salve his pride. She dared not, in case she revealed just how much she cared.
With her emotions back in control and her sense of purpose restored, Sofie was finally ready to go back downstairs. She checked her appearance one last time, told herself she could get through this, retrieved her evening purse and a shawl from the bed and went to rejoin Lucas.
He turned from the window immediately. ‘Ready?’ he enquired and, when she nodded, held out his arm for her to take.
She raised an eyebrow questioningly, heart lurching. ‘That’s a little over the top, don’t you think?’ she challenged, making no move to take his arm. She didn’t want to touch him because she craved the closeness that was lost too much. Far better to keep distance between them.
Lucas, however, wasn’t about to be gainsaid. ‘Humour me,’ he told her lightly, but there was something steely in his look that urged her compliance.
‘More penance?’ she taunted, whilst her heart quailed as she knew she had to give in to the unspoken pressure. Against her will, she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.
Sensing her reluctance, he tutted mockingly. ‘You have a short memory, caro. Once you couldn’t wait to get your hands on every part of my body,’ he goaded, turning her stomach over. Their lovemaking had been exquisite and she’d never forgotten it.
‘Maybe I just prefer not to remember my mistakes,’ she countered with all the sang-froid she could muster.
Lucas urged her out of the cottage ahead of him and closed the door firmly. ‘It’s interesting you call it a mistake, as that would mean you’re fated to repeat it,’ he argued sardonically, and she shot him an equally scornful look.
‘Not if I learn from it first.’
Lucas laughed. ‘I can see this is going to be quite a battle. I’m looking forward to it already.’
Unlike Sofie, who had come to believe this meeting would never happen. ‘Just remember, I’m only agreeing to dinner with you.’ It wouldn’t hurt to tell him again.
‘This time, naturally,’ Lucas concurred with a tilt of his head. ‘I’m prepared to give you time to get used to the idea. However, restitution will have to be made eventually. One of the reasons for taking you to dinner was to discuss terms.’
Sofie’s heart contracted as he talked about a resumption of their relationship as if it were a business deal. ‘One of the reasons?’ she probed in what she hoped was a steady voice.
‘We have a lot to talk about. The whys and wherefores, so to speak.’
Not if she could help it! ‘All I can say is I hope you’re prepared for a one-sided conversation.’
‘Don’t worry, amore, after the way you walked out on me, I’m prepared for anything.’
A chauffeur climbed from the waiting limousine as they approached it and Sofie silently prayed that nobody would notice and tell Tom tomorrow. Lucas helped her into the back before joining her. Clearly the driver already had his instructions, for no sooner were they buckled in than he drove off.
‘Where are we going?’ she asked, when they didn’t head back into the city but took a route that led to the coast.
‘A colleague recommended a restaurant overlooking the sea not too far away. I thought we’d go there. The fish is supposed to be excellent. Kind of reminds me of the first time I met you. At that seafood restaurant on the quayside in Bali. Do you remember it?’
Of course she remembered it. Nothing about their time together was forgotten. She had been holidaying with a group of friends, one of whom had been pestering her, trying to take their friendship to an altogether different level—one Sofie hadn’t wanted to go. So she had left the table and wandered down to the end of the pier. That was where Lucas had found her a short time later.
‘You should have blacked his eye,’ he declared, coming to lean on the wooden rail beside her.
She turned and looked into a pair of the most brilliant blue eyes she had ever seen and fell under their spell in the blink of an eyelid. Her, ‘Excuse me?’ was more to give herself a moment to recover than because she hadn’t heard.
Lucas smiled, sending her heart reeling. ‘Your friend. I hope you don’t intend to treat me that way.’
Sofie raised her eyebrows, then laughed softly. ‘Aren’t you being rather premature? You and I are nothing to each other.’
‘No,’ he confirmed lazily, ‘but we will be.’
Turning slightly, she rested her weight against the wooden rail, more than a little staggered that her knees were getting weak beneath her. ‘Don’t I have any say in this?’
He turned to face her, all casualness and male grace. ‘Of course you do. The where and when is up to you.’
‘But not the if?’
His blue eyes travelled lazily over her face and she felt the warmth of them like a touch. ‘There is no if. We both know that.’
Sofie drew in an unsteady breath. ‘Does this approach usually work for you?’
His smile lit a fire deep inside her. ‘I don’t have a “one size fits all” approach. I adapt it to suit the woman in question.’
‘And you think your chosen line is working with me?’ she charged him, not about to confirm that it was.
‘Of course. You’re intrigued and want to know more.’
‘What intrigues me is your name,’ she returned smoothly. ‘You do have one, I take it?’
‘Lucas Antonetti,’ he introduced himself. ‘And you are Sofie Palmer. I asked one of your friends,’ he explained, seeing her surprise.
It excited her to know how much he had wanted to meet her, but she kept that to herself. ‘You’re not some escaped lunatic, are you?’ she teased lightly and his response took her breath away.
‘Not yet, though you certainly have the ability to drive a man mad,’ he countered lazily.
Sofie laughed and quirked an eyebrow at that. ‘Are you telling me you think I’m a tease?’
His eyes flashed with wicked humour. ‘You tell me. Do you always deliver what your eyes promise?’
She shrugged one elegant shoulder. ‘That would depend on what they’re promising. I’ve been told they spit fire when I’m angry, but I’ve never set anyone alight,’ she revealed lightly, and was fascinated by the way his eyes seemed to gleam with hidden thoughts.
‘Now that I don’t believe. When your eyes send out those scintillating flames of passion they must burn a man right up,’ he argued in a husky tone that sent shivers down her spine.
There was no way she could prevent her breath from catching at that. ‘Do you always say exactly what you’re thinking?’ she gasped, surprisingly disconcerted by his forwardness.
‘Only if the situation is appropr
iate. Right now I couldn’t possibly tell you everything that’s going through my mind. For that we would have to be quite alone.’
Sofie silently acknowledged that he was good at this. She couldn’t recall feeling such an intense attraction before. He had the kind of charisma she found intensely exciting.
‘So, Lucas Antonetti, should I know of you?’
‘That would depend on how familiar you are with the world of international big business,’ he returned smoothly and Sofie couldn’t resist shooting him a flirtatious look from beneath her lashes.
‘So you’re a businessman. I’m impressed. I can’t say I’ve been pursued by a businessman before,’ she responded with a husky laugh that brought a gleam of something hot and dangerous to his eyes.
‘It’s a first for both of us. I’ve never pursued a…’ Lucas paused, allowing his gaze to wander over her again. Slowly his lips curved into a wicked smile and his eyes rose to lock with hers. ‘…Sofie Palmer before.’
Sofie’s breathing went awry and she couldn’t look away. ‘So, where do we go from here?’ she asked, her voice sounding oddly scratchy to her own ears.
Eyes twinkling, he sighed ruefully. ‘I know where I would like to go, but that would be out of the question.’
She took a shaky breath, not so much staggered by what he had said, as she had heard that suggestion before, but rather her physical response to it, given that her trust in men was at rock bottom. ‘Do you always move so fast?’
‘When I see something I want, yes,’ Lucas confessed huskily. ‘However, I can go slowly when the situation demands it,’ he added, a roguish twinkle in his eye.
Sofie’s heart contracted at the memories, because he had gone slow. For all the passionate attraction they had both felt, she knew now that he had wooed her. They hadn’t just tumbled into bed and thought the world well lost. They had waited as long as they could and got to know each other before taking the step both had wanted. It had been…heaven, but all too soon she had had to go home, and there she had thought it would end. Except Lucas thought otherwise, which had led to the most beautiful of weddings and, eventually, the cruellest betrayal.
The Millionaire's Marriage Revenge Page 6
